Kia Forte Complaints

177 consumer complaints on file.

#11504550January 30, 2023
ENGINE
Engine is very noisy for quite some time before getting quiet. 40000 miles. Lifters making a lot of noise. Possibly a failing oil pump.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11498196December 20, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Good morning, I want to report extreme safety concerns about my KIA Forte GT - Line 2023.When I first came home with the car days later the car shut off in the middle of the street while driving just one house up from my house. I attempted to turn it back on and the car would not turn back on and it automatically proceeded to call roadside assistance.I immediately informed the dealership. The car often hesitates, fails to shift and turns completely off. Last Sunday on December 11, 2022 I was about to get on the Roosevelt Boulevard expressway while I was on a street which is a hill that leads me to the expressway going about a reasonable distance. My car proceeded to roll backwards on the hill. I immediately thought to myself this is a huge safety concern. The incident that occurred on December 13,2022 in front of my house was a dealbreaker for me. I was moving my car from my home driveway , I put my car in reverse and moved my steering wheel the opposite to go right with my foot slightly on the gas my car would not move. The transmission light , battery lights and other lights came on. My car then said reverse,neutral then reverse again. I did not change gears to neutral. Still my car would not move. Shortly after I put my foot on the brake because I saw a white car speed behind me very fast. I kept my foot on the brake until the coast was clear and the white car disappeared.After that my car immediately goes backwards at full speed ( Jumps out of gear accelerated then stalled) and hits a parked car which damages the back of my car.I called KIA roadside assistance because I was turned off by the car and I did not feel like it was safe to drive and it needed to be towed. The incident happened in front of my house but it could have happened anywhere and cause even more damage to me and someone else. I talked to [XXX] on the phone a day after my car arrived at the dealership and she immediately stated that KIA can not fix any damages. My car needs to go to a INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFOR
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11491188October 27, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My vehicle was stolen and recovered a couple of days later. The only damage to the vehicle is a broken window and broken ignition dash Currently trending is the Kia challenge where vehicles from 2011-2021 are missing tan anti-theft feature that makes it an easier target to steal. Kia is aware of this and not doing anything about this, not even sending a letter advising their customer of this trend and how we can protect our vehicles. The vehicles need to be recalled because currently millions of customers are driving a vehicle that can be stolen at any time with something as basic as a USB cable. Kia needs to take responsibility and accountability for this major flaw. Now customers have to be left dealing with the insurance and proving to them they are not involved in their own vehicle thefts. I have police report number, still waiting for the actual police report.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11490568October 24, 2022
POWER TRAIN
It seems the car may have a defect in the transmission(Dual Clutch). The car makes at times an abrupt stop, for like a second or two, after I press on the gas. When I'm driving, especially at low speeds I can hear the transmission's parts make a grinding sounds, loud clicks. When I'm breaking, it's not smooth at all; I feel the car pulling a bit when switching to lower gears during the breaking process. When I have the car on and not moving (i.e parked), I can hear sounds emanating from the bottom of the car, like parts grinding against other parts. I have not seen any indicator light turn on from the vehicle, to this day. I have taken it to the dealership before, more than once, but they haven't found any issues with it. Still I feel they have not done a full inspection of the car, and I feel something is off with the transmission, like there's something loose somewhere in the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11490373October 21, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
1.Vehicle on spots of highway will apply the forward collision warning system and suddenly brake that may cause a collision with vehicle behind it. 2. Theft is sweeping the nation for Kia/Hyundai vehicles and this vehicle is a target. Hyundai/Kia need to install security protocols on their product as this should have been on the product since purchase.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11488159October 6, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Hi, On multiple occasions, the car slams on brakes in the middle of traffic, its like it has a mind of its own, I can back up and a car can be passing by all the way across the street and the car will beep and slam on brakes, sometimes while I'm driving and may not be close to a car, the car will just slam on breaks. That has almost caused me multiple accidents and I'm afraid that one day it will. The safety feature on this car is very dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480167August 19, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car was stolen. Steering column busted ignition switch taken out. Passenger side window busted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11477635August 4, 2022
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ANTI-THEFT DEVICES
My car was stolen from in front of my home, they were able to steal my brand new car because they popped off the bottom steering wheel cover and used an iphone charger to start the ignition and drive away.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11477416August 3, 2022
STEERING, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My main issue is concerning a critical design flaw that has been found due to a social media challenge called the Kia Challenge where people are able to start up and steal a Kia after only using a USB cord adapter (found near the key start on the steering wheel) without needing a key. This has caused a concerning increase in the theft of Kias across the country which has also affected my insurance rates. After repeatedly trying to contact Kia for two days on August 2nd and August 3rd, I was finally able to get in contact with customer service concerning the recent issue with Kias (model years of 2011 to 2021 with manual key start steering wheels) that are being stolen by just using a USB cord to turn on the car without a key. After waiting on hold for an hour, the customer service agent was extremely rude and uncaring about my concerns as my area is also being affected by these recent car thefts. My insurance rates have also gone up due to the overall riskiness of owning these cars and their likelihood of being stolen because it has a key start for the engine. After doing research on the information available to me, I found out that Kia higher-ups approved measures to cut the costs by not including automobile immobilizers that have been the industry standard for a little over 20s years. It makes no sense that my older 2018 model Camry has industry standard parts but my 2021 Kia Forte does not. I am highly aggravated that I am stuck having to pay for a vehicle that has a higher likelihood of being stolen all because the company wanted to save a few dollars and not include immobilizers on their cars until the 2022 models. I am highly upset that Kia, their reps, and dealers have displayed an abhorrent lack of concern in trying to fix this issue as this prevents me from having to go to important job sites for work. This issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Link to story https://www.insider.com/tiktok-kia-challenge-using-usb-cables-to-steal-cars-2022-7
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11471150June 27, 2022
ENGINE
While driving down the highway, the entire crank pulley system fell out from under the car and onto the highway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11469144June 14, 2022
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate while the RPM increased. The contact pulled over to the side and notice the vehicle smoking but there was no fire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact towed the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,642.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466532May 28, 2022
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Ticking sound under hood at 35000 miles
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465529May 20, 2022
SEATS
When I abruptly have to step on the brakes to stop the vehicle, the backseat behind the driver and the middle seat fall forward. This has happened multiple times.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464989May 17, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly started revving without driver input. The battery and high engine temperature warning lights illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and diagnosed with engine damage due to the overheating caused by a faulty engine pulley bolt. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 608.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464795May 16, 2022
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS, TIRES
Recall
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464701May 15, 2022
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Vehicle has issues where transmission actuator will stop functioning causing sudden loss of acceleration. Was doing 70 MPH in expressway and vehicle stopped accelerating. Issue has occurred two times, both times being serviced by Dealership, after receiving the vehicle back, issue still persists, vehicle lost acceleration suddenly when turning into a intersection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11460437April 11, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
A defect in 2021 Kia Forte vehicle engine start and security systems allows for the rear window to be broken without an alarm activation and the car to be started without a key or key-like device. The vehicle can be started with something as simple as a screwdriver. Vehicles of this make and model are being targeted by criminal activity and it is a safety concern for Kia consumers and drivers. Kia is aware of this defect and has issued a statement that all future vehicles will come with improved safety systems and an engine immobilizer, but no recall on vehicles before the 2022 model year have been made for repairs or adjustment to solve the issue. My 2021 Kia Forte was stolen from my house while I was home and which failed to cause a triggered alarm. There were no possessions in the car and the vehicle was locked. The individual who stole the vehicle only had to pull off my steering column cover and the ignition box to steal the vehicle. This is a rising concern throughout the nation, and Milwaukee currently has a class action suit for this safety defect. A new car with no history of problems and very little usage should not have this problem.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11457498March 20, 2022
AIR BAGS
I was struck by lightning and totaled my car. My airbags didn’t deploy. I’ve reported this to Kia. They are yet to respond
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11456502March 13, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Car stalled and shut off while in drive leading it to be towed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11456501March 13, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Car completely shut down while in drive on 2 separate occasions leading it to be towed to dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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